Time
by CaladielTelperion
Summary: Carol is a mess, Daryl is mess.. but someone shows up giving some help.
1. Chapter 1

This is a small chapter because I wanted to know if it would be well received.. So, that's it. I Hope you like and.. let me know!

XXX

"Where's Carol?" Daryl asked Lori. He back from his hunt near dusk and didn't see her around the camp.

"I don't know." Lori said looking around and thinking. "I really don't know... has a while that since I saw her."

Lori looked worried after she realized that. And Daryl understood why. Carol has been acting strange since the event in the barn.

He walked to the RV to talk to Glenn. He was on watch, must to see something. "Hey, asian boy.. Have you seen Carol?"

"Yeah.. She went on that direction." Gleen said surly point to the woods.

They were like a family. They protect each other, they help each other but he was still trying to figure out why he cared that much. Mostly with Carol.

"How long?"

Carol started to avoid talking with people. They were treating her like she could freak out any moment. Which was a lie. Daryl never saw crazyness in her eyes, only sadness and loneliness. But she had lost her little girl, for Christ's sake. Anyhow, it was the empty in her eyes that worried him. He was afraid of her doing something like... like.. put an end in her own life.

"Oh.." Glenn stopped a looked his watch concerned. "Has been a while"

Daryl went to look for Rick. In less than one hour would be dark and they would need to find her as sooner as possible.

Rick called T-Dog and Andrea to join him and Daryl to search for Carol. Each one took a gun and they were going to the woods when a black Frontier with what appeared to be pieces and bloods of walkers all over it begins to appear on the grounds of the farm. They were preparing to shoot when a familiar head appeared through the car's window.

"Don't shoot." Carol shouted at them.

They didn't but got closer to the car prepared to.

Carol got out from the passenger seat like she had just arrived from shopping when the driver's door opened slowly and a woman showed up.

"Put the guns down, please" Carol asked them.

Daryl couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Amelia?" He was surprised by the sight.

"Daryl? Oh my God!" The woman said and run on his direction jumping and hugging him.

"I fuckin' knew you were alive!" He puts her down and took a good look at her face. He was about to say something but a baby moan coming from the car stopped him. "Is that.. Nathan?" Daryl asked her while walked to the car.

The others watched perplexed while he took a little black haired child from the back seat.


	2. Chapter 2

First of all, I want to thank ShazzyZhang that reviewed this story for me. So no more mistakes!

And second, I am really glad that you are enjoying this. Just let me know if it won't change!

Boa leitura, beijos!

XXX

They were all sitting at the dinner table with the new guest.

"How did you arrive here?"

Daryl rolled his eyes in response to Rick's question.

"Why does it matter? She's here with this little guy and it's enough." Daryl kept Nathan on his lap while Amelia was sitting with the others at the table.

"That's okay, Daryl. I would do the same thing if I was in the same position." She tried calm her friend even knowing that it wouldn't happen. "My husband told me to met him in a school near here. That's why I was around."

"And how did you find Carol" Hershel asked.

"I was hunting some squirrel to eat. Then I found her."

"Then you just think to bring her here." Shane interrupted, looking at Carol like she was crazy.

"Hey, Don't talk to her like that! I kill three of those things that were close and took her out of there. When she saw that was just me and my boy she told me about the group, you asshole!"

Instinctively Shane slammed on the table and Rick put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. Shane got up and left the house angry, and muttering obscenities under his breath. Amelia didn't even blink at his action.

"Where's Christopher?" Daryl asked, without hiding his amusement at the scene.

"I've no idea." Amelia looked away from him. "But I hope he's on the way. I'm supposed to meet him in five days."

"He'll be there, he is a tough guy."

They stared each other for a while. Daryl moved Nathan in his arms in a protective way and nodded to her like he could tell her that everything was going to be all right.

Hershel beat lightly on the table to get their attention. "Dinner time!"

They ate in peace until Shane came back. Rick managed to calm him down. Two good motives made him accept the guest. First, she was definitely traveling alone and second, but no less important, Amelia was a surgeon. And in a few moths Lori would need a real doctor, Shane would never allow a vet to do the delivery.

The group were having a little fun when Nathan resolved to spit the food instead of swallow it and this, undoubtedly, cheered them up.

After a little chat and explanation about farm's rules, Hershel had officially invited Amelia and her son to join them, then little by little the group began to disperse.

Daryl stood up and took Nathan from his mother's lap for her to stand up too.

"What are you looking at, you moron?" Daryl asked Glenn, who was looking at him with wide eyes. "This kid is my godson, for Christ's sake." Without waiting for the questions that he knew would be coming, Daryl left the room and Amelia followed him.

XXXX

The next morning Carol was in the kitchen with the other women, including the newbie. Amelia admitted to not being a good cook, but she knew how to follow orders very well.

Andrea, who rarely left the watch, had joined them to satisfy her curiosity. "So… " She started talking to Amelia. "How did you know Daryl?"

"We're from the same motorcycle group." She answered distractedly while she helped Patricia. "You know, Hades' Angels." When she realized they had no idea about what she was talking about she looked really surprised. "Did he never talk about us?"

"Daryl, hardly opens his mouth" Lori told her.

Daryl arrived in the kitchen just after that and realized that they were talking about him when they looked away at the same time. "I don't wanna know" He declared. "Just get out here and let's go hunting." He said to Amelia.

"And how do you suppose I'm gonna do this? Hold Nathan with one hand and my crossbow with other?" She asked sarcastically.

"I can stay with him." Carol offered. "I mean. I didn't thank you for saving me yet."

Amelia was preparing herself to kindly deny the offer when Daryl intervened.

"That's okay, you can trust her." They stared each other for a while and he nodded affirmatively ensuring it.

Carol looked a little surprised at Daryl's affirmation but opened a smile when Amelia put Nathan in her arms.

XXX

They were far from the farm by that point, both with their own crossbow ready for action. They hoped to catch a deer and having somebody with him, somebody that actually knew what they were doing, pleased Daryl. Even if they didn't catch a deer, he knew that they would get a lot of squirrels.

A few hours later, they were heading back to the farm, with almost triple of amount of squirrels that Daryl usually caught.

"Look." Amelia had started saying. "I don't know how to say this, brother."

"Just spell it out, once!"

"That woman I saved, Carol." She started awkwardly. "I think she didn't want to be saved."

"What fuck are you sayin'?"

"I'm saying about what I saw. She was there, watching those things, no weapons, you know. Then she started to walk in its direction. That was when I interfered."

"Are you fuckin' sure about what you're saying?"

"Yes."

"But she stayed with Nathan, she said it was to thank you!"

"That's why I thought weird."

XXX

They returned to the camp in silence and went to opposite ways. Amelia went to the house to give the squirrels to the others and to take back her son, while Daryl back to his tent.

I didn't take too long until he heard somebody getting closer. When Carol called him he got out to find out what she wanted.

"I just wanted to say thanks." she said softly. "You know, for trusting me. People have been trating me like I was crazy."

"Don't worry. I won't happen again." His tone of voice was rude.

"Excuse me?"

"You really thought Amelia wouldn't tell me what you were trying to do in the wood?"

He saw it in her eyes that she'd figured it out. Her eyes were a mix of fear and mostly shame.

"Honestly, I can't see how this can be any of your business." Carol snapped.

This time he was the one to be confused.

"You even told me I'm not your problem." She forced herself to look at his face. He was frozen "Anyway, I thought you would be the first to celebrate if I had disappeared."

"Why this?"

"Well… Wasn't you who told me that I was a real piece of work?"

Daryl had never seen her talk to anybody like that and this had really messed with him. Daryl gazed at her but didn't say anything just watched her walking away from him.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm SO SO SO sorry. But I refused to publish this chapter without passing through my beta. And she was so busy that she couldn't do this before. But here it is, I didn't give up.

Thank you very much for the reviews. Tell me what you think about this one ;)

PS: I'm carioca, I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

XXX

He was laying on the grass, by the middle of the afternoon, next to his tent with his head resting on a trunk and his crossbow at his side. He was watching the necklace with the ears and recalling the moment that Carol found out about it.

He was angry with her for saying that he didn't pass all that time looking for Sophia, that she wasn't her already. He was mad with himself for haven't found her in time. But Carol knew that, she understood he needed throw his guilt on someone and she accepted to be that person when she said "Go ahead".

Daryl saw Amelia getting closer with Nathan and he made a mental note to throw the necklace away, she wouldn't be so silent as Carol was.

"Why are you laying down on the grass when you have a perfect tent by your side?" she said softly and Daryl saw his one year old godson sleeping deeply on her arms.

"Why are you sleeping in your car when you have a perfect tent here for you?" he asked her while she sat beside him, straightening Nathan on her lap to let him be more comfortable.

"I feel safe in my car. However I would feel safer if you were closer."

She said casually and Daryl saw what was coming. He'd expected for the question since she saw his tent, but he hadn't given her chance to ask him.

"Why aren't you with us?" She asked looking at her car parked next to the RV.

"They are too annoying and noisy." Well.. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Yeah.. Sure." But, of course, she didn't buy it.

Daryl noticed Amelia's arms were asleep because of Nathan and told her to lay him down in the tent.

"You should eat something. Last time you did was at breakfast." She said after accommodating her son.

"Carol used to bring me something if I didn't show up to the meal." It was an unnecessary comment, but he wanted a reason to tell her the whole thing.

"And why would she do that?" She asked, a little confused.

"Dunno"

Gradually he stared to tell her about the camping at the quarry, what happened with Carol's husband, why they left the place, how they had arrived at the farm, the bullet and the arrow he got, how they found Sophia and the little chat he had with Carol when she came looking for him. This last thing, he was a little afraid when he told her because he knew what was coming next.

"You did what?" The only thing that prevented her from yelling at him was the kid asleep in the tent. "How could you do this to her? And don't you dare to tell me how frustrated you were."

"I was furious with myself and took it out on her." He said defensively "I know I shouldn't, ok! But I did."

"I don't care at all." She took a deep breath before keeping. "I mean, what would you do if somebody had told those horrible things to me?

"Probably I would punch him 'till my hand fell off." He confessed.

"Daryl." She called him, patient. "Honey, Carol was abused, lost her little girl and you made sure to make her understand that she's on her own, and even blamed her for it!"

"I know."

"You should apologize" she advised him.

"I know."

"Will you?"

"I don't know."

Amelia stretched her arm over her son to slap Daryl's shoulder. "How can you say this?"

"Stop! I feel guilty enough, I don't want her dead, but I don't know how to do that, ok. Just tell how to do it, alright?

"I can't." Amelia said.

He looked at her, confused.

"Brother, this you'll have to find out by yourself. And make sure that she knows what you are apologizing for."

XXX 

Carol was on the way to the stable at Amelia's request to fetch Daryl.

She didn't blame the woman at all, she knew she would tell Daryl what she was trying to do eventually, nevertheless she didn't feel comfortable going to talk to Daryl after their little chat this morning.

He didn't notice her at first, completely distracted watching the little boy on his lap. Nathan was smitten with the horses.

Carol thought that Daryl really was like a nice uncle. He insisted on hanging around with Nathan whenever he could, but if the boy threatened to start crying or if a bad smell come from his diaper or anything that involved a not-okay Nathan, Daryl gave him back. And this thought made her laugh catching his attention.

"What is so funny?

"Nothing." She said berating herself for having laughed. "Amelia is calling you and Nathan for dinner."

After he nodded in answer, she turned around to leave the stable when he called her back.

"Do you have a second?"

"Sure." She said watching him getting closer.

"I just wanna say that I'm sorry." Daryl looked a little green and Carol thought he wasn't used to apologies. "You know, for everything."

"You don't have to do this." Carol decided to just avoid any talk with Daryl. Sooner or later he would be an ass and she would be devastated, and she was exhausted feeling like this, mostly when the cause was Daryl.

"I do 'cause.. I don't believe those things I said about you and I don't want you to die." Carol thought he looked a little shaky saying those things, but she was pleased with the fact that he'd bothered to apologize at all.

Uncomfortable, Daryl shrugged and left the place.

"I'm a burden." She said quietly but loud enough for Daryl's well trained ears.

"Why? 'Cause you don't know how to shoot?" He mocked her.

"I'm a coward." Her voice wasn't more than a whisper.

"Bullshit. You survived that crap you used to call husband." He was getting aggressive. Ed was a subject that constantly put him out of his mind. "And you protected Sophia from him. I don't see you as a coward and even less a burden. And I'm sure that nobody does."

She smiled gratefully. Daryl could be surprisingly good sometimes and she was pleased for being there these moments. But Nathan started getting eager in his arms and Daryl went toward the house with Carol behind him.

They were next to the porch when Nathan began whining hungry, to Daryl's despair.

"Hold on one second."

"Are you kidding me?" He said not stopping walking.

"Daryl!"

"Shit. What do you want?"

"That's fire, right?" Carol said pointing to something orange far from them.

Daryl narrowed his eyes to see better and his mouth fell open in shock when he understood the scene.

"Go get some help, now!" Daryl asked her pushing Nathan to her lap.

He ran as fast as he could toward the fire, his tent was getting devoured by the flames. Pieces of hot coal were on the grass close to the tent. A gust of wind had probably blown them off the fire and ignited his tent. With the fabric highly flammable, Daryl's 'home' was disappearing pretty fast.

Daryl was hitting the tent on fire angrily when Amelia pulled him away and started smothering the flames using blankets with Rick.

"Come on man, do something!" Rick shouted at Daryl. "Help us!"

He was by Carol's side, who had arrived just a few minutes later with Nathan still in her lap. Daryl couldn't move, he was feeling sick. He had been sleeping in that tent since the whole shit had started. That thing that had been his safe place, was suddenly gone.

Glenn, T-Dog and Shane showed up with buckets full of water followed by the others. Then all was just smokes and ashes.

XXX 

Daryl watched the others go back to their meal in silence. His stomach was writhing in protest, he hadn't eaten anything since that morning. He kept his eyes on Carol, watching her eating while fed his godson.

Amelia came to his side carrying a backpack.

"Take this." She said giving it to him. "It's Christopher's clothes. You'll need it. Now go take a bath and come back here to get some food." She ordered and he was making his way towards the house, when Carol's voice stopped him.

"You're bleeding."

"No, I'm…" He stopped talking when he saw his forearm. "What the hell..?"

"Let me see this." Amelia said and took Daryl's arm before he gave her permission.

She lifted the sleeve of his shirt finding a big a ugly burn and grimacing.

"Yeah, of course. 'Cause, having my place over isn't enough." 

XXX

He was sit with Amelia at the kitchen's table. He had his right arm over the table under Amelia's care and his left hand squeezing the old wood so hard that his knuckles were white.

"It's fucking hurting." He muttered.

"Of course it is. You just got a second-degree burn, honey." She was cleaning the burn carefully with gauze and cold water, fighting with the bad lighting.

"Hershel asked me to give you this." Carol said getting in the kitchen. "Said it would be helpful" she put an ointment next to her.

"I hope this is some damn painkiller." Daryl was still fighting against the pain

"No." Amelia told him taking a look at it. "It's a bactericidal. Lucky you."

Carol went to sit at Amelia's side. The boy still in her lap was having a little fun with his plush tiger.

"Thank you Carol, for being with this little guy." Amelia took a break to look at the woman. "I'll compensate you soon, I promise."

"Oh, come on. I'm still trying to thank you for yesterday." Carol smiled at her. "Besides, Nathan's just a little angel, no work at all."

"Are you ladies done? I'm in pain here." Daryl grumbled.

Amelia rolled her eyes before taking the ointment and putting it on the burn.

"Where the hell are you going to sleep now?" she asked out of the blue.

"Well.." he started awkwardly "Borrow your tent?"

"If I had one, sure!"

"How do you not have a tent? You have camped since I remember and when the world turns inside out you decide to leave your tent at home?"

"Yeah, says the man who was born already camping and let hot coal set fire to his own tent!" she retorted sarcastically.

"Fuck you, Amelia! Where the hell I'm going to sleep now?" he looked a little pissed and anxious.

"No, fuck you! 'Cause that's what I've been always talking with you. If you'd been nice instead of the asshole I know you've been, it had already rained people willing to share their tent with you, Daryl!" She snapped.

She bandaged his forearm and look mad at him, he looked like someone had just punched in the stomach.

"You can stay with me if you want." He almost didn't hear Carol's offer like she was regretting saying it as it slipped from her lips.

"Are you sure?" he asked doubtful.

"Yes."


End file.
